


standing here until you make me move

by PayetteStAmour



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: M/M, Past Relationship(s), Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2020-05-18 19:28:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19341088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PayetteStAmour/pseuds/PayetteStAmour
Summary: “You should come out here if you ever take some time off lol” came Prompto’s nearly instant reply. While he knew Prompto didn’t mean it to be harsh--it had been 3 years, he still couldn't be so frustrated, could he?--Ignis still flinched.“I’ll have you know that I actually slept in today”“Oh yes, I’m super aware of you going AWOL. It doesn’t count as sleeping in if it was a 12hr stress coma”“I suppose you’re right. I may be out of a job in an hour.”In which Ignis needs a break, and is forced to take one. Plus Chocobos.





	1. Time Off

**Author's Note:**

> So this was a project that was meant for a big bang i had to pull out of, and then I was reading what i had written of it and my notes, and it cannot continue to live just inside my head.

To Ignis’ dismay, he found himself in the car with Gladio, barreling down the open highway. Well they were in the monstrosity of metal machinery Gladio called Baby. It growled like a behemoth and had no seatbelts, and Ignis was absolutely petrified.

“Must we use this nightmare of a vehicle?” Ignis asked tightly, grabbing the handlebar above his door as Gladio whipped around the person putting along in front of them. He let out a shaky breath. “Gods preserve me.”

“We have to off-road it for a while. Your pretty little car wouldn’t’ve handled it at all,” Gladio replied, turning to grin at Ignis, all teeth and unapologetic.

“Gladiolus, the road!” Ignis shouted as a pack of Sabertusks began across the road. His hands immediately went for the handlebar in front of him on the dash as Gladio hit the brakes, and he couldn’t help the soft exclamation when they came successfully to a stop.

Ignis stared out the windshield, wide-eyed and desperately trying to get his breath under control. He watched the last of the Sabertusks disappearing in the brush on the other side of the road and shook his head with an angry sound.

“Iggy, c’mon--”

“Out. I will be driving now,” Ignis snapped, opening his door and all but falling out of the deathtrap.

“You don’t know where we’re going,” Gladio said with a laugh, but his mirth stopped short when Ignis hauled his door open.

“You will give me directions then. If I must suffer this monstrosity without seatbelts, I will at least have the security of being behind the wheel,” Ignis barked, grabbing Gladio by the wrist to pull him out of the vehicle.

“Fine, fine,” Gladio laughed and after a few short minutes of getting themselves resituated, they were back on the road.

Ignis immediately felt relief, tension he hadn’t realized he was carrying leaving his shoulders and neck. The entire ride felt completely different now that he was holding the wheel, less like he would fly out a window at any twist or turn or brake. Now that he could relax, his thoughts turned to this vacation he was taking.

Vacation wasn’t quite the word, honestly. It was a punishment. _‘Exile,’_ he thought dramatically and heaved an explosive sigh.

“What’s up, Specs?” Gladio asked, and Ignis glanced at him. The man was lounging comfortably, holding a book.

“Did you purposely scare me so I would demand to drive and you could read?” Ignis accused, glaring out the windshield now.

“Not exactly the plan, but definitely a bonus. And don’t change the subject,” Gladio goaded.

Ignis sighed again. “Three weeks of doing nothing--”

“Four, actually,” Gladio interrupted.

“I only agreed to three!”

“And the king himself slipped me cash for an extra week,” Gladio said, and Ignis could hear the grin in his voice. “Face it, pal, you’re stuck with me for a whole month away from the capital.”

Ignis made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat, but it lacked any real heat, even as humiliation filled him over His Majesty playing even more of a role in his vacation. Gladio heard the joke in the sound and laughed.

“Just remember you only have yourself to blame,” he said, sing-song in his teasing.

“Hmph, as if that will stop me from blaming everyone else,” Ignis grumbled.

* * *

_Ignis sat at his desk, blinking tiredly at the pages in front of him and confused at how blurry it had all become. Faintly, he registered his stomach was grumbling unhappily and finally looked at his watch._

_It was almost midnight. Shit._

_He’d been sitting there since noon, working feverishly at a stack of paperwork and reports, trying to organize everything leading up to the prince’s wedding. Before that, he had arrived at seven in the morning for an early morning meeting with the king and a panel of foreign diplomats._

_They were there to discuss the terms of Noctis’ marriage, and where various treaties now stood. It was very important, and Ignis was present in Noctis’ stead, as the young man was just returning from a trip out to Lestallum. Someone had to take accurate notes of the goings-on, and also to lend a voice of support to King Regis should disagreements arise. And arise they did, of course, given the nature of politics._

_Immediately following that meeting, there was another with the Crownsguard and then the Kingsglaive. It was much more enjoyable speaking with the soldiers, Cor and Nyx always a breath of fresh air after a morning of vipers and bureaucracy. At least they were straightforward and honest._

_He had grabbed lunch with Nyx, he vaguely recollected, and spent that half hour distracted and more or less ignoring the other man. The Kingsglaive was patient, at least, and waved Ignis’ apologies off when he realized just how rude he was being._

_“You’re busy, Ignis, we get it. I’m just surprised you actually took me up on my offer at all,” Nyx said with a shrug, and something smarted in Ignis’ chest at that comment. The Kingsglaive stood up and smiled down at Ignis, roguish and handsome, and Ignis glanced away. “I’ll see you around.”_

_And then Ignis had hurried back to his office and thrown himself into his work, only looking up to pass off his notes from the meeting to Noctis when he came in to chat._

_Aside from his lunch with Nyx, the day before this, and all the days before that ran roughly the same. He woke up, he went to work, he went home to sleep. Rinse and repeat. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a day completely free of responsibility. It had to  have been back in high school, over ten years ago at least._

_He tried to convince himself he wasn’t sad about that._

_With a grumpy noise, Ignis picked up his phone and winced at all the unread text messages. There were, in total, twelve of them._

_Six of them were from Noctis, three of them were from Gladio, and another two from Nyx._

_And then one from Prompto._

_He lingered at that one, chewing on his lips for a moment before opening Noctis’ chatlog._

> “Hey, we still going to the bar tonight?”
> 
> “Specs?”
> 
> “Hey dude, what’s ur ETA?”
> 
> “Hey Nyx showed up! Ur missing out!”
> 
> “Iggy u promised.”
> 
> “Dude seriously, I’m getting worried. Where are u?”

_Ignis grimaced at the memory of his flippant promise from earlier. He had said it to get Noctis out of his hair, though he did have the intention to actually follow through._

_Gladio’s texts weren’t much better._

> “Hey Ignis, we ended up at that really quiet bar you like. The club was too crowded.”
> 
> “Ignis, for real, where are you.”
> 
> “Noctis is about to climb up the walls, where the fuck are you?”

_Ignis felt like a proper idiot, and sighed as he looked at Nyx’s messages._

> “So ur apparently coming out tonight? How exciting”
> 
> “Hmm apparently not. D’;”

_Ignis puzzled over that for only a moment before shoving it away. He knew exactly what Nyx was up to, he wasn’t naive. And he couldn’t deny that the man was attractive, or that he hadn’t caught Ignis’ eye. The chamberlain just knew it would be idiotic to involve himself with someone else with his duties as they were. He had well and learned that lesson._

_Ignoring the last unread message, he opened the group chat he had with his friends._

> **Ignis:** Sorry. Lost track of time at work. I’m heading home now. We’ll have to plan for another time.
> 
> **Noctis:** Ur still at work, specs? Wtf

_Ignis flinched at just how quickly Noctis had responded and realized the young man had been waiting for his text._

> **Gladio:** he’s doing your work, princess
> 
> **Noctis:** it’s almost 12am! Specs, go home!
> 
> **Gladio:** well maybe if he was given a damn break he wouldn’t be working so hard

_Ignis huffed at the brewing argument and tucked his phone away in his pocket before gathering up the paperwork he still had to finish into a box to carry home. Perhaps he would go over some of it during breakfast, or on the train back to work. Looking mournfully around the office at the other stuff he had left to do one last time, he left._

_On the train, he pulled his phone out to check the chat and smiled at the still-bickering duo._

> **Ignis:** enough, both of you. I’m fine, I just lost track of time.
> 
> **Gladio:** uh-huh sure. What about yesterday? How early are you getting up tomorrow?
> 
> **Gladio:** how much bullshit are you bringing home with you?

_Ignis flushed at being so thoroughly called out, and with a healthy amount of pettiness, he turned his phone off. He refused to give in to the man’s taunt and enjoyed the peace of the empty train car._

_When he arrived home, exhaustion absolutely washed over him and it was all he could do to make it to his room. He dropped the box of paperwork on the floor and laid down on the bed, on top of the covers and still in his clothes._

_“I’ll just rest for a moment,” he murmured to himself, blinking slowly._

_And then his apartment was bright. Too bright._

_Panic flooded through Ignis as he sat up suddenly, fishing his phone out of his pocket and cursed loudly. It was off. He had turned it off last night and forgot to turn it back on, and all of his alarms were on there._

_When the phone turned back on, he was greeted with a wave of concerned text messages. From Noctis, most of all, but also Gladio and, to Ignis’ great embarrassment, the king himself. And there was still the unread text message from Prompto._

_He saw the time and cursed loudly. It was almost noon._

_He launched himself off the bed to freshen up and change, but immediately tripped over the box of paperwork he had left in the middle of his floor. His glasses fell victim to an untimely death against the door jamb of the ensuite._

_Twenty minutes later, he was on the train, dressed in clean clothes and his hair fixed as best he could, and his spare glasses perched on his nose. They were an old prescription, with thick rims that did nothing for his features, but they were better than squinting all day. Or gods forbid, wearing contact lenses._

_Tapping his foot impatiently, Ignis could only think about the two meetings he had missed, and how far behind he was now. With an annoyed sound, he pulled out his phone and finally read Prompto’s text._

“I’ve been great! The country is amazing, though I guess the city has its own charm. I go to Lestallum a lot nowadays when I need my city fix lol getting lots of nice pics!!!”

_Ignis smiled gently, mulling over his reply._

_Prompto had left Insomnia three years ago to find his own way in the world. It was something he felt he couldn’t do in the shadow of his best friend, which was fair. Noctis and Prompto remained fast friends, though the blond’s sudden departure did hurt. Prompto was still in their group chat, though he rarely, if ever, contributed to it._

_“Sounds like you’ve found your place. I would love to see some of your photos,” Ignis replied, still smiling softly._

_“You should come out here if you ever take some time off lol” came Prompto’s nearly instant reply. While he knew Prompto didn’t mean it to be harsh--it had been 3 years, he still couldn't be so frustrated, could he?--Ignis still flinched._

_“I’ll have you know that I actually slept in today”_

_“Oh yes, I’m super aware of you going AWOL. It doesn’t count as sleeping in if it was a 12hr stress coma”_

_“I suppose you’re right. I may be out of a job in an hour.” Ignis was now doubly humiliated that even Prompto knew how colossally he fucked up. Even though the blond was aware of how much Ignis could screw up more than most._

_“Lmao Regis would never fire you and Noctis wouldn’t let him if he TRIED”_

_“We shall see about that. I’ll let you know.” Ignis debated a winking emoji at the end, and summarily dismissed the notion._

_“Whoops well i’m about to lose cell signal. Almost back to the ranch. Good luck!”_

_Ignis sighed again and put his phone away. He knew Prompto lived in a cellular dead zone for most of the month. The only accessible WiFi at or near the ranch he worked was shoddy at best, and only occasionally even on. But even when Prompto had a connection, he was usually too busy to message Ignis._

_‘Though,’ Ignis thought somewhat bitterly. ‘Prompto was always messaging Noctis during his free time.’_

_Prompto had left Insomnia three years ago. It was amicable and not out of bitterness or anything like that; he loved Insomnia, and his friends, and knew he was loved in return. The way he put it to them was that he wanted to make something of his life on his own terms, craft his own destiny. And they were endlessly supportive of his choice, even if it hurt them._

_The train arrived at Ignis’ stop and he hurriedly shoved his phone into his pocket to rush onto the platform. He all but ran to the citadel, barely showing his I.D. at the gates before ascending the stairs two at a time._

_Ignis decided not to stall and went straight for King Regis’ office, knocking respectfully and waiting to be granted access. It was not long before Clarus Amicitia opened the door and stepped aside. He was serious as ever, but Ignis was sure he saw the man’s mouth quirk in a little smile._

_Without any hesitation, Ignis bowed low before King Regis’ desk and resisted the urge to start grovelling. “I offer my deepest apologies for my tardiness this morning, your Majesty.”_

_“None of that, Scientia. Please, sit,” Regis dismissed lightly, and Ignis immediately obeyed. When he finally looked at the king, confusion roiled in him at the way the man was looking back at him. “I’m only relieved that you are indeed safe and sound. My son was beside himself this morning when you did not arrive or answer our messages.”_

_“You are not displeased with me?” Ignis clarified, utterly baffled by the genuine concern he saw in the king. Of course, while Ignis had been Noctis’ oldest friend, this was still the King of Lucis he was speaking to._

_“I cannot speak for Noctis, but no I am not, Ignis. You have been an exemplary chamberlain for my son, as well as for me, ever since you have ascended to this role,” the king reassured him. “While it was hectic this morning, we managed to keep the nation running.”_

_“But I was late,” Ignis muttered. How was that not a problem? How was the king just brushing that aside like it was indeed nothing? Punctuality was something Ignis had come to think of as his strength, at least when it came to his work._

_“Other than some worry, no damage was caused. Honestly, it was quite enjoyable seeing the correspondent from Accordo so flummoxed by your absence,” Regis said with a smile. “Now, go speak to my son before he claws down my door.”_

_Ignis nodded and stood, pausing to bow deeply again before he all but scuttled out the door. He was confused when he reached Noctis’ office down the hall and the prince was not there. It was a common sight for the young man to be slouching there haphazardly reading through some notes or some other task. Or playing on his phone._

_He wandered a bit further and found his office door ajar and stepped in. There he found Noctis sitting behind his desk on the phone, almost convincingly ignoring the man as he entered. Annoyed that his seat was taken, Ignis put his briefcase down by the door and sat in one of the chairs in front of his desk.  While he waited, he eyed one of the open files on the desk and picked it up, skimming the first page. With a thoughtful noise, Ignis reached for a pen to make some notes._

_Without pausing in his conversation on the phone, Noctis slapped Ignis’ hand and snatched every pen within sight. Indignant, Ignis looked up at the prince sharply and was startled with how serious his friend was. Shaking his head, Noctis returned his full attention to the conversation on the phone and Ignis pursed his lips. Getting up, he approached his briefcase for a pen, only to yelp as something hit the back of his head. Looking over his shoulder, he saw a stress ball rolling away on the floor._

_Noctis hung up the phone and motioned for the file. “Give it to me.”_

_“I was going to make a few--”_

_“Nope. Shut up,” Noctis snapped and Ignis sucked in a sharp breath. “You need a break, and everyone else agrees. So give me that file and go home.”_

_Ignis sputtered slightly. “I do not need a break!”_

_“Specs if you say another word, I will actually fire you, I swear,” Noctis threatened, and Ignis could see that he was serious._

_“You would not,” he challenged, however, dropping the file on the desk._

_“Yes, I would, Ignis. You have never missed a day, not even a sick day, and you’ve never taken a vacation,” Noctis said, his tone only softening marginally. “When was the last time you had an actual day off? Where you didn’t do anything for me and my dad? Where you just did things you wanted to do because they were fun?”_

_Ignis stared the prince down, unable to answer that question in a way the would strengthen his case for staying at work and making up for the lost time._

_“That’s what I thought,” Noctis said smugly, and Ignis finally looked away. “You’re gonna go home right now, and you’re going to pack some shit, and then Gladio is taking you on a vacation. For at least three weeks.”_

_“Noctis--” Ignis began, looking back at the prince in utter shock and disbelief._

_“I do not want to see you until you’ve got a tan and a proper smile on your face,” Noctis interrupted. “Get laid even, I don’t care, I just don’t want to see your face until next month.”_

_That would put him at returning just before the wedding. This was the absolute worst time for him to leave. “The wedding--”_

_“We’ve got it under control, Ignis. I’m sure the actual planners we hired to handle it will be happy you’re gone,” Noctis laughed. “Now get out of here.”_

* * *

“I know you don’t dig driving off-road,” Gladio said, and it did do the trick in persuading Ignis to relinquish control.

“What is this place anyway, that we have to leave paved civilization to reach it?” Ignis asked, checking his phone and grimacing at the lack of a signal. He had assumed he was going to be trapped in some resort and forced to have spa days and sit at a pool, miserable and bored for a month.

“We’re going to a guest ranch, or a dude ranch, whatever,” Gladio replied.

“A what?” Ignis asked sharply.

“It’s a functional ranch with actual animals on it, where we’ll work with the actual ranch hands,” he explained in a tone that implied Ignis was the ridiculous one for not knowing what it was.

“So I’m being forcibly banned from doing menial office work, just to do a month of manual labour I’m paying to do?” he clarified, and the smile the overcame Gladio’s features only infuriated Ignis further.

“You’re not paying. Noct and the king are, and this will do you more good than that bullshit you do back home,” Gladio said and suddenly pulled off on a narrow dirt road to the right of the highway. They were barreling down the pathway far too quickly for Ignis’ comfort but he didn’t comment. “Seriously, I’ve been here a few times and it’s great. You’ll love it.”

Ignis made a skeptical noise in the back of his throat and pulled out his phone again to check for a signal. None. He looked out the windshield and could see a structure coming into view behind the trees.

“Plus, we get to hang with Prompto for a month,” the other man said with a big, genuine smile.

“What?” Ignis asked, barely keeping his tone level and his phone in his hand.

“Yeah, Prompto works here. The kid’s a natural with the birds,” Gladio said as he stopped the vehicle at the end of the drive to roll down his window. “See? Here he is!”

And sure enough, appearing at Gladio’s window after hauling himself up on the side of the truck was a beaming Prompto Argentum. He was sunburnt and freckled, and just as beautiful as the day he left.

Ignis swallowed, dread sinking deep in his gut about spending an entire month in the wilderness with his ex-boyfriend.


	2. Reunion

_ “I think, maybe, we should maybe, like, break up.” _

_ The words were sharp and jagged, tearing into Ignis’ chest. There was a moment when he thought to argue, but he could only let out a soft, shaky, “oh?” _

_ “Yeah, astrals this is why I wanted you to come over. I hate doing it like this,” came Prompto’s frustrated reply over the phone, and Ignis sucked in a slow breath. _

_ It was late at night, and Ignis was still at the citadel transcribing notes from the meetings earlier that day. The final details of a peace treaty were falling into place, and Noctis was one step closer to being betrothed. It had seemed so incredibly important that he finished the transcriptions that evening before he went home, and he had once again rebuffed Prompto’s request for him to come over. _

_ “This is certainly a conversation I would have preferred to have face to face,” Ignis replied, trying to keep his tone even, though his eyes were burning and his throat was tight. It was completely unfair of him to complain, and he knew it the moment it left his mouth. He was already cringing before Prompto scoffed audibly. _

_ “Yeah, well you’ve blown me off pretty much every night for the past month,” Prompto snapped, rightfully angry, even if the harshness was completely uncharacteristic. “Should I have come to your office while you were working and do it?” _

_ Ignis let out a soft breath, biting his lower lip and pinching the bridge of his nose. Perhaps it was better if Prompto did it this way; it was entirely possible that he would have made a fool of himself blubbering and begging the young man to reconsider.  _

_ “I know I have been busy--” he began shakily. _

_ “You’re not busy, you’re obsessed,” Prompto interrupted, a finality that was impossible to argue entering his voice.  _

_ Ignis let out a quivering breath, a tear escaping as he murmured a quiet, “mm-hmm.” _

_ “And listen Iggy,” Prompto began more gently, “I’m not doing this for an apology, or for you to change, or whatever. I know how important your job is to you, and how good you are at it. So whatever.” _

_ Prompto’s voice had gone shaky then, watery and thick, before he sniffled and let out a long, loud sigh. Ignis cleared his own throat before wiping at the tears that had gathered on his eyelashes and slipped down his cheeks. _

_ “I love you,” Ignis said weakly, though not as a bribe or to beg for anything. It was just a statement of fact; just as sure as Ignis needed oxygen to breathe, he was deeply in love with Prompto Argentum. _

_ “I love you, too,” Prompto replied sadly. “But that’s just...not enough on its own.” _

_ There was a long pause as Ignis collected himself and Prompto sniffled into the phone. Why had he thought his work was so important? Why did he prioritize it so much? _

_ “I mean, we can always try again but right now I need to say what I need,” Prompto continued, sucking in a fortifying breath. “And I need more than this.” _

_ Ignis nodded to the empty office, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose again as more tears welled up. “That is entirely fair,” he all but whispered past the jagged lump in his throat. _

_ “We’re still friends, though, right?” _

_ “Of course, Prompto,” Ignis replied instantly. “I could never stop being your friend.” _

_ “Good.” Ignis could hear the smile in Prompto’s voice, and tried to pull that small happiness into himself as well. _

_ All he felt was cold. _

* * *

“Hey, big guy!” Prompto beamed, reaching in the window to pull Gladio into an awkward hug. “Wasn’t expecting you back so soon!”

Gladio grinned and opened his door, the whole thing swinging out while Prompto still clung to it. Prompto squawked and slipped off, likely falling square on his ass if the sound of gravel crunching was anything to go by.

“Yeah, well I wasn’t really planning on coming back out here so soon either,” Gladio replied before shutting his door, leaving Ignis alone in the vehicle.

He could hear them chatting outside, and he worked to calm down the maelstrom of emotions he was suddenly dealing with. Of course, he was elated to see Prompto, absolutely over the moon about it, but there was also dread. How was he supposed to go four weeks with the love of his life that he had chased off without making it awkward?

_ ‘Well, I suppose I’m just going to have to do it somehow,’ _ he thought, pushing open his door to join the two men outside. _ ’No turning back now.’ _

“Yup, I’m just here to make sure this guy takes a real break,” Gladio was saying as Ignis rounded the front of the truck. Prompto glanced politely at him with a genuine, but purely professional smile, before snapping his violet gaze back. It was such a blatant double-take, Ignis almost felt embarrassed again.

There was a moment where they just stared at each other before a breathtaking grin overtook Prompto’s features. “Holy shit. You actually took a vacation, Iggy?”

“It was not entirely by choice,” Ignis said, clearing his throat when his voice seemed to waver.

Prompto’s smile dropped a bit, “really?”

“Noct threatened to fire him if he didn’t take a break,” Gladio elaborated.

“Seriously?” the blond asked with a loud laugh.

“Truly. This is my punishment for being late once in my career as chamberlain to the crown prince, so it would seem,” Ignis replied, smiling gently at Prompto.

“Oh, ouch, Iggy. Hanging out with me for a couple weeks is a punishment?” Prompto asked with a grin. 

“Perhaps a more enjoyable punishment than I had expected,” Ignis responded, his smile growing just a touch wider, especially when that brought a light flush to Prompto’s cheeks.

Gladio looked between the two of them with a raised eyebrow before rolling his eyes. “We’re actually going to be here for a month.”

“For real?”

“Highness’ orders,” Gladio confirmed, clapping Ignis on the shoulder roughly. “He is not to return to the citadel until he has a proper tan, and a real smile. He was even ordered to get laid.”

“Not that that was ever a real order, or an expectation,  _ Gladiolus _ . It was a joke Noctis said just to see me flustered,” Ignis said quickly, feeling his cheeks heat, especially at the unreadable expression that came over Prompto’s face.

“And It worked so well,” Gladio said with a shit-eating grin.

“Well that’s awesome guys. I’m only on shift for two weeks, thought. Two on, one off. That kind of thing,” Prompto explained quickly.

Ignis couldn’t help the flash of disappointment that Prompto wouldn’t be working with them the whole time.  _ ‘Though,’  _ he thought,  _ ‘it may be for the best, what with not wanting things to be awkward.’ _

“Well, c’mon guys. Grab your stuff and I’ll take you to your cabins,” Prompto said, going around to the back of the truck to open it up.

Gladio let out a disappointed sound. “I like the camper,” he groused.

“Of course you would ‘prefer’ something like a camper to a cabin,” Ignis said with a roll of his eyes, reaching into the truck to grab one of his bags.

“It’s more authentic.”

“Well, take it up with Noct. He made the booking, and the camper is already rented out,” Prompto said brightly, grinning at Gladio’s glare.

Something like anger settled low in Ignis’ gut at mention of Noctis. Up until this point, he had only known that Noctis was sponsoring this nonsense. He didn’t dare think his dearest friend would betray him like this, but his comment for Ignis to ‘get laid’ came into sharper focus. 

“Noctis booked us here? Specifically?” he asked, aiming for polite curiousity, and for the most part he succeeded.

“Yeah. He asked me for ideas for a vacation while you were AWOL, I told him about this place, and he did the rest.”

He wanted to ask if Noctis knew that Prompto worked at the ranch before he made the reservations. However, there was no way to ask that in front of Prompto without making it obvious that he would rather have avoided all of this. He decided to drop it, and picked up his bags to follow the other men up the driveway to the main house.

Gladio and Prompto chatted non-stop, the conversation mostly driven by Prompto, and it barely stopped while Gladio signed some paperwork and put a credit card down for incidentals. Prompto was talking at length about the various birds they had, the new hatchlings they would be seeing, and some of the amazing hikes and adventures they could go on if they chose to do so.

“Of course, with me as your perfect and amazing guide,” Prompto finished his whole speech with a brilliant smile, and handed them their keys. “Now, to your cabins!”

“I’m gonna go see the birds. I’ve missed Potatoes,” Gladio said, pocketing his key and turning to leave. “You two can handle the bags.”

“Hey! I’m not a bellperson--and he’s already gone,” Prompto said with a sigh, chuckling when he turned toward Ignis with a wide smile. Ignis’ knees felt weak, and he hated himself for it. “Guess it can’t be helped; he loves that bird.”

“I’ll just tell you which bags are Gladio’s, and we can just leave them here,” Ignis suggested with a smirk, and delighted in Prompto’s laugh.

“Deal!”

Despite everything, they still carried Gladio’s luggage to the doorstep of his cabin before continuing to Ignis’.

It was closer to the ledge overlooking the valley, with a stunning view of the Disc of Cauthess from its back porch. Ignis couldn’t help but take in the scene, breathless and awed, before sitting down in one of the deck chairs.

“I knew you would like it,” Prompto said happily, dropping into the other chair.

“This must have costed Noctis a fortune,” Ignis murmured.

“Nah,” Prompto said, lounging back to look out over the valley. “I mean, yeah, this is our best cabin but I may have pulled some strings to get you into this one. Like, no extra cost.”

Ignis looked over at Prompto, smiling at the sidelong look the young man gave him.

“Ah-ha! One requirement down,” Prompto said, clapping and startling Ignis. “You’re already smiling! Just gotta work on that tan.”

Ignis snorted and turned back to the view. “I suppose so.”

Silence stretched between them. It was comfortable and warm, and Ignis’ heart ached.

“So, you’re seriously doing this? Coming out here for a whole month?” Prompto asked, shifting so one leg was slung over the armrest of his chair.

“Yes, it would seem so. Noctis was quite insistent,” Ignis replied. “What with threatening to fire me and all.”

Prompto made a face that Ignis was unable to read. The man across from him was Prompto, the man he loved and had not been able to forget for three years, but he had also changed so much. Perhaps this would also make it easier for Ignis, and would help him move on, give him proper closure.

“You really don’t actually want to be here then?” Prompto asked carefully.

“In my defense, I had no idea where I was being absconded to,” Ignis explained. “That, and I didn’t even know you worked here until moments before we pulled up.”

The expression on Prompto’s face was pure skepticism. “You didn’t know I worked here?”

Annoyance rose up in Ignis. Prompto had never said where he worked, or that it was a guest ranch. All he knew based on what he had been told was that he worked at a ranch most of the time, and then lived in Lestallum the rest of the time.

Ignis took a deep breath to school his response into something that was much less bitter than he actually felt. “Indeed. I knew you worked on a farm, but there are several of those out here, and you had never mentioned that you worked on a guest ranch.”

“I guess you’re right,” Prompto laughed, scratching the back of his head. “I just figured Gladio woulda said something. He’s been here a lot.”

“You grossly overestimate how much Gladio talks to me on a regular basis,” Ignis replied with a laugh.

“Is that because of him, or because you work too much?”

It’s a comment that Prompto likely meant innocently, a gentle ribbing as friends. It still went through Ignis like a lance, bringing back memories of many tired arguments and their eventual breakup.

“Perhaps it’s a bit of both,” he finally said, though he knew it rang hollow.

“You keep telling yourself that,” Prompto laughed and relaxed back into his chair.

Ignis smiled lightly before thinking back on Prompto’s earlier comments about his schedule. “Prompto, you said you’re two weeks on, one week off, correct? You were getting back from your last break roughly a week ago, so shouldn’t you be off next week?”

“Yeah, but I begged Wizz to let me stay on an extra week when I saw Gladio was coming,” Prompto explained. “I usually do. And I’m set for a housekeeping, cooking, and maintenance shift next, so it would have been a lot less time with you guys and the birds. I’m thinking about staying on the ranch for my week off, too.”

Ignis was both happy to hear that, and filled with even more dread. “You’re usually in Lestallum for your week off, correct?”

“Yeah! Got a place with Cindy a while back,” Prompto said happily, grinning at the sun set.

Ignis ignored the spike of jealousy that ran through him. “Cindy?”

“Oh yeah, I met her right after I left Insomnia. Her grandpa’s a mechanic, has his own garage and stuff. I was strapped for cash so I started helping out,” Prompto said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Cindy hatched this grand plan to open a garage in Lestallum, and I went with her.”

Ignis mulled this over. “Then how are you out here, and not in Lestallum working in the garage?” he asked, avoiding the questions he actually wanted answered.

Prompto grinned softly. “On the way out here, we saw the signs for the Chocobo Post, and you know me;  _ crazy  _ about Chocobos,” he sighed. “So I begged Cindy to do a little trip out here. I fell in love, Wizz liked how the birds reacted to me, and he offered me a job.”

“Cindy was okay with that?”

“Of course she was! I was good around the garage, but she knew that wasn’t really my calling, you know?” Prompto laughed. “And she’s honestly one of my best friends, so she’s happy if I’m happy. I help her out when I’m back in Lestallum, though.”

“Ah,” Ignis began, seeing his opening, “she’s just a friend, then?”

Prompto laughed again, almost sounding nervous, before quirking an eyebrow at Ignis. “Getting jealous there, Iggy?”

“Of course not,” Ignis lied. “I’m merely catching up, and it sounded at first that you were together, but now I’m doubting it.”

“Okay, okay, I was just teasing,” Prompto said, waving his hands a bit before scrubbing the back of his hair. “Yeah, no. I mean, not for lack of trying on my part, but she wasn’t interested in me that way. Not sure she’s interested in anyone that way, which is cool too.”

Ignis nodded with a hum, both relieved and hating that he was relieved. Prompto being single should not be filling him with hope. This was pathetic; they broke up three whole years ago.

“You’ve had an idyllic time, it would seem,” Ignis finally said, just above a whisper.

Prompto snorted. “Sure, if you want to call it that.”

Ignis smiled gently at the young man. “I only mean that you seem to have found your place out here.”

“Yeah, I have,” Prompto said with that big grin back on his face. “I was terrified at first, leaving, right? But it was good for me, I think.” 

There was a long pause before he quickly added, “I’ve missed you though. I mean, all of you”

“I--we’ve missed you, too,” Ignis replied.

“So what about you? What’ve you been up to?” Prompto asked after a bit.

Ignis sucked in a deep breath. “Well, there has been a lot happening, especially for Noctis. I’ve been an integral part in planning Noctis’ wedding and such. Aside from that I’ve…” Ignis trailed off, blowing out a breath and holding his hands out in a shrug of sorts.

“Holy shit,” Prompto burst out. “I mean, pardon my language but really? Nothing? Nothing at all new?”

“I haven’t had many reasons to not work. Noctis requires my assistance, as well as the king,” Ignis defended himself.

“Okay but what about friends! Any new friends?” Prompto pushed.

Ignis thought briefly about Nyx, and he couldn’t help the heat that came to his face.

“Oh, what was that? Don’t pretend I didn’t see it, what did you just think about?”

The chamberlain let out a gusty sigh. “There’s this Glaive with whom I work a lot, and recently he has taken an interest in me for some reason. It’s nothing.”

“Oh, do I know him?”

“Undoubtedly. Nyx Ulric,” he confessed, flushing at Prompto’s low whistle.

“He’s hot,” Prompto said appreciatively. He was looking over the valley when Ignis glanced at him, his expression unreadable.

“That is obvious. I’m not interested, however,” Ignis replied. “We’re both too busy, with the wedding coming up and everything.”

“But what about after the wedding?”

Ignis met Prompto’s gaze and thought about that. Any relationship with Prompto was impossible. If they couldn’t make living in Insomnia together work, they couldn’t make this long-distance thing work either. And he couldn’t deny that once the wedding passed, much of Ignis’ workload would disappear.

“I haven’t thought much about that, to be honest,” Ignis admitted, shrugging. “Even considering it, I don’t know if I’d be interested in Nyx.”

“Why not, though?” the blond asked thoughtfully, his expression guarded when Ignis looked back at him. There was a time when Ignis had been able to tell what Prompto was aiming or thinking just by the look on his face. Now, the man was a closed book, or a book in a completely different language.

“He’s simply…” Ignis began, trailing off as he failed to come up with any good reasons. 

The man was attractive, successful, and trustworthy. He was loyal to the crown above all else, and could fully understand Ignis’ own obligations. They both had schedules that meshed nicely for the most part, and saw each other quite often around the Citadel, even in passing. It would be completely different with Nyx than it had been with Prompto.

Ignis blew out a breath and shrugged lightly. “He’s older than me, and I can’t imagine him staying too interested in me for long. He’s attracted to the mystery of me,” Ignis teased with a twitch of his eyebrow.

“Okay that is a lot of bullshit and assumptions,” Prompto laughed, leaning closer across the space between them. “He’s what, like five years older than you? That’s just a little more of an age gap than you and me were. And you’re not that mysterious, so I doubt that’s what he’s into.”

“You wound me,” Ignis said dramatically, turning away so Prompto wouldn’t see his flush. The age excuse was silly from the beginning; Ignis was almost thirty, which made most age differences moot, especially a difference of only five years. “I can’t see why he would be interested in me, which is unsettling.”

“Uh-huh, other than being really handsome and smart, clever and dedicated, and utterly loyal to the crown?” Prompto said skeptically.

“I suppose I’m confused because I have made no efforts to appear available, and he still took interest,” Ignis confessed with a shrug, which was a half-truth. He mostly just wanted to stop talking to his ex, whom he was still not quite over, about a possible suitor waiting for him back in Insomnia. “I cannot fathom pursuing someone who was not interested in me in a way that was obvious.”

“Huh,” Prompto said thoughtfully, nodding and turning to look out over the valley with another hum.

Ignis nodded as well and allowed them to lapse into a comfortable quiet.

“Welp, I’m going to change your life tomorrow, Iggy, you can count on that,” Prompto said brightly, standing up and flushing a deep red for some reason. “And I’ll just leave you to settle in and relax. Dinner is in about an hour, so I’ll see you then. At the picnic tables in front of the store, I mean.”

Ignis stood as well. “I would like to see the birds, if you wouldn’t mind?”

“Nuh-uh! Nope! I’m not letting you ruin my surprise. I have the perfect bird for you, and I don’t need you off bonding with the wrong one,” Prompto said firmly, walking around the cabin with Ignis on his heels.

“Fine, have it your way,” Ignis replied with a chuckle.

“I will!” Prompto said brightly, walking backward away from Ignis with a little salute. “Just take it easy, read a book, whatever it is you do to unwind. See you at dinner.”


	3. Errands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An update! Please notice rating change for a future chapter that has been written and is being edited and such. See notes for other info.

_Ignis woke up slowly, blinking quickly as the headache came pounding to life behind his eyes and he buried his face deep into his pillow._

_“Gods, how much did I drink last night?” he moaned miserably to himself._

_There was a pained chuckle from beside him. “Not as much as I did.”_

_Ignis’ head shot up as he squinted through the semi-darkness of his room. The movement had his vision swimming and his gag reflex on edge, but he managed to settle everything down. Next to him in bed was a very groggy and tired Prompto Argentum, smiling weakly up at him._

_“Like I’m honestly afraid to move. I’m still a little drunk,” Prompto laughed, covering his eyes. “Did you know you kinda snore?”_

_“Prompto,” Ignis started carefully, looking down at himself surreptitiously. He was wearing boxer briefs and a tank top, so that was a relief. Prompto looked like he hadn’t gotten out of his clothes from last night at all. “Why are you in my bed?”_

_“Well I mean, it felt kinda weird to go home after you confessed your undying love to me on your couch,” Prompto teased, and his smile was a little brighter now. “You kinda killed the mood when you got up to pay tribute to the porcelain gods, but like, I was still into you.”_

_“We...didn’t do anything, right?” Ignis clarified as mortification flooded through him. This is not how he wanted Prompto to find out about his stupid little crush. More, he had never wanted Prompto to find out about his crush._

_“We made out a bit, but like I said you threw up, so then I helped you clean up and tucked you into bed,” the blond replied tiredly with a shrug. “I tried to clean up the bathroom, but I dunno how well I did. I was, like, super sauced.”_

_Ignis dropped his face back into his pillow with a long groan, wincing when the movement again threatened to set off his gag reflex. “Fuck,” he muttered._

_“Hey, Iggy, if you were serious about you know, being into me, and you weren’t just being a drunk dweeb,” Prompto began slowly, nervously, and Ignis had to look at him again. “I mean, I’m really into you, and I would be really happy if we could date and make out more. While sober. And stuff.”_

_Ignis just blinked at the blond for what felt like a full minute, opening his mouth and then shutting it again. Finally, he ventured, “you mean that?”_

_“Astrals, yeah Iggy! You’re gorgeous, and amazing, and gorgeous, and hilarious, and like,” Prompto flailed with a grin, “super gorgeous. Last night was a dream-come-true, even the ‘holding your hair back’ part.”_

_Flushing at Prompto’s effusive compliments, Ignis shifted closer to the blond, finding his hand under the blankets and tangling their fingers together. “I must say, despite the hangover, this is certainly the best birthday.”_

_The blond grinned at him and squeezed his fingers, eyes fluttering shut again._

_Ignis felt something swell in his chest, and he was warm all over._

* * *

There was something else that annoyed Ignis beyond reason about this vacation, and it was that in all their efforts to keep the destination a secret, Noctis and Gladio had made it impossible to pack. There was hardly anything in his wardrobe that was suitable for farmwork, and even the items he decided would do until he could go to Lestallum for better clothes would be ruined.

As it was, he walked across the property wearing the closest thing he owned to denim and a cotton button-down shirt that was still fairly flimsy considering the work he was expecting to do. His boots also left much to be desired, and he was tempted to abandon the property outright to get better clothing before doing anything else.

It actually had quite a bit of merit, and he mulled it over while he ate breakfast. It would also give him an opportunity to call Noctis and ream him out properly for his duplicitous bullshit.

“That is a pretty thoughtful look this early in the morning,” Prompto said as he dropped into the chair directly across from Ignis.

“And is that really the best outfit you could put together for working on a ranch?” Gladio added, sitting next to him and pulling at the shirt.

“Yes, because you and Noctis made packing and preparing so easy,” Ignis snapped sarcastically. “I do not have clothing suitable for manual labour, Gladiolus. So, I was thinking that before I destroy half my wardrobe, I would like to go into Lestallum to get some proper clothing.”

“That’s actually a good idea, honestly,” Prompto said with a shrug.

“I don’t wanna babysit you on a shopping trip,” Gladio groused, reaching across and stealing some potatoes from Ignis’ plate.

“I don’t need to be babysat. I can go on my own and I’ll be back by lunch,” Ignis replied indignantly.

“Nuh-uh, I can’t let you go to civilization unsupervised, and I don’t want to spend another moment away from Potatoes and open fields,” Gladio said firmly.

“I’ll go with Iggy then,” Prompto offered. “You can go with Wizz on his runs, and I’ll escort Ignis to and from Lestallum. Win-win.”

“Sounds good enough for me,” Gladio said, pulling out his keys and dropping them on the table. 

Ignis eyed them with absolute dread.

“Nah, man. We’ll take my car,” Prompto said, waving Gladio off. “My car has seat belts and everything.”

“Yes! Prompto’s car it is!” Ignis said with relief, letting out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

To Ignis’ dismay, he learned that Prompto’s vehicle literally only had seatbelts going for it.

“Where is the rest of it?” Ignis asked slowly.

“What do you mean?” Prompto asked as he climbed into the driver’s seat.

Ignis motioned vaguely at what looked like a roll-cage with seats, a hood, and a windshield. There was no roof or doors, and Ignis wanted to rescind his comments against Gladio’s Baby. 

“Where is the rest of your vehicle, Prompto?”

“This is it! This is Bertha,” he replied with a grin, patting the dashboard lovingly. “She’s perfectly safe.”

“Why must all of you have vehicles designed specifically to torture me?” Ignis asked as he pulled himself up and buckled in. He was already holding onto the handlebar next to his head and trying not to allow his panic to take over before the deathtrap was even turned on.

“You gonna be okay?” Prompto asked, his concern genuine, and Ignis willed himself to calm down for his friend’s sake. The young man would continue to worry about him if he kept behaving like a skittish animal.

“Yes. Just...out of my element,” he slowly replied, loosening his grip on the handlebar so that it was less white-knuckled.

“Would you feel better if you were driving?”

“Yes,” Ignis said quickly, but he shook his head when Prompto moved to switch with him. “But much of this trip is meant to teach me to relax. So just start this metal monstrosity and let's be on our way.”

Prompto laughed and turned the key in the ignition, grinning when the vehicle rumbled to life. He carefully pulled out of the driveway and drove at a much more reasonable speed down the narrow dirt road than Gladio did on the way in. They were driving further into the woods, away from the highway Ignis and Gladio had arrived on.

“So you’re supposed to learn to stop micromanaging, too?” Prompto asked after a while, and Ignis turned his attention to him.

He was absolutely stunning, Ignis realized all over again. His blond hair was sun-bleached and windswept, his face and arms dark with freckles and a tan. Perhaps it was more sunburn than tan, but Prompto absolutely glowed. Even his eyes were a brighter violet, surrounded by freckles as they were now. Prompto had always been freckled from head to toe, but there wasn’t an inch of exposed skin that didn’t have a galaxy of dots on it now.

And now, driving through the woods with dappled sunlight splashing across the blond, Ignis found himself breathless at the sight.

“Yes,” Ignis said eventually, turning away so he could properly converse with the man. “I was heavily involved in the preparations for Noctis’ wedding, as I had said yesterday.”

“Let me guess; there are actual people who are literally being paid to do that specifically and you were in their way?” Prompto asked, and Ignis could hear the smirk.

“Yes,” Ignis replied with a chuckle. “I just don’t know how to...turn it off, I suppose. I’ve been doing all of the planning and preparing with regards to Noctis for years.”

“I can kind of get that, but you have to trust that everyone else can and will pick up the slack and you don’t have to do everything,” Prompto said with a shrug. “You can’t just devote every waking moment to Noctis, especially with him getting married here. Lady Lunafreya is going to take on a lot of his responsibilities, too. You know?”

Ignis hadn’t been wanting to think about that if he was perfectly honest with himself. It was true, though, and he had to come to terms with it sooner or later.

“I know,” he replied softly and turned his gaze out his side of the vehicle as they exited the woods and turned onto the paved highway.

All attempts at conversation became impossible over the wind that came with higher speeds, so Ignis watched the scenery with nothing short of awe. He had never travelled this far from Insomnia like this and had only seen these sights in pictures.

Ignis’ phone vibrated in his pocket after about an hour, and he fished it out to see he finally had a signal.

“You better not be doing any work!” Prompto shouted over the wind.

“I’ve been locked out of my work email!” Ignis shouted back as he opened his chatlog with Noctis.

> **_Ignis:_ ** _you and I need to talk._
> 
> **_Noctis:_ ** _no we don’t_
> 
> **_Ignis:_ ** _yes, we do._
> 
> **_Noctis:_ ** _i have nothing to say to u other than get off ur phone. How do u have signal anyway?_
> 
> **_Ignis: *_ ** _Prompto* is taking me to Lestallum to get clothes suitable for being on a ranch._
> 
> **_Noctis:_ ** _oh wow prompto is there? Imagine that! What a small world._
> 
> **_Ignis:_ ** _I do not appreciate being set up. I realize this is a huge laugh for you and Gladio, but this was low._
> 
> **_Noctis:_ ** _fine, call me when u get to lestallum._

They arrived around lunchtime, and they were starving. The city around them was sweltering and humid, and Ignis decided immediately he did not like it. It was entirely unpleasant in his current outfit.

“I need to make a phone call before we begin, and I was hoping to do so privately,” Ignis requested before getting out of the vehicle.

Prompto narrowed his eyes before shrugging. “Whatever. I’ll grab us some food and wait for you at one of the picnic tables?”

Ignis looked over at the street vendors near where they parked, and the surrounding tables, and nodded. “That sounds perfect,” he replied.

“Awesome!” Prompto said brightly as he bounded off in search of food.

Ignis hit the speed dial for Noctis and tapped his fingertips on his thigh.

“Hey Specs,” Noctis greeted the moment he picked up. “Still being dramatic?”

Ignis didn’t know how to respond to that, and he was immediately annoyed that there was no way to answer without playing into “being dramatic.” When the silence stretched on, Noctis made a small sound.

“Specs, are you really upset about this?” he asked, and his voice actually sounded guilty.

“In a way, yes I am. I am upset that you would put me in this situation without warning me. I’m upset that you would set me up like this,” Ignis answered, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You know how I feel about him, and you know how much the...the breakup hurt. And you know how I felt when he left. This was not fair to do to either of us.”

“I figured you both would like to see each other,” Noctis said, slightly defensive but at least a little embarrassed.

“And Gladio? Did you tell him all about it?” Ignis asked.

“No, Specs. I don’t get why you and Prom kept it a secret, but I’m not going to go blabbing about it to anyone, even Gladio,” Noctis said, and Ignis believed his honesty. “And I didn’t do this to set you up.”

“So your comment to me to ‘get laid’ was just a general idea, and had nothing to do with Prompto?” 

There was silence on the other end of the line, and that was answer enough for Ignis. He sighed and looked out across the parking lot to see Prompto waiting at a table for him.

“I will thank you for not meddling further with my romantic life, especially when it comes to Prompto,” Ignis said firmly.

“Specs, you have to stop pretending--”

“Enough, Noct. I ruined any chance I had with him, and I won’t set him up for further disappointment,” Ignis said, and his voice was softer and sadder than he had wanted it to be. “Now, I will enjoy my time here, and I will enjoy Prompto’s company, but never do this again.”

“Alright,” Noctis replied after a lengthy pause. “I’m not really sorry for sending you there, though.”

Ignis rolled his eyes, and let out a long breath. “Goodbye, Noctis.”

“I’ll talk to you later,” Noctis said, and Ignis hung up.

He got out of the vehicle and joined Prompto at the picnic table, smiling down at the meal the younger man had chosen for him.

“You okay?” Prompto asked around his mouthful of food.

“Yes, I’m fine,” Ignis replied. “Just had to talk to Noctis about something.”

“Nothing too serious?” Prompto asked, grabbing his drink.

“Not at all, just had to straighten up some affairs so I can get to enjoying my vacation,” he reassured, allowing a smile at the way Prompto beamed at him. He would make it through this trip and end it with his feelings for Prompto purely platonic.

The entire shopping trip, however, quickly devolved into a sightseeing tour of Prompto’s new home.

After eating, the young man all but dragged Ignis to the overlook and gestured grandly at the Disc of Cauthess in the distance. Ignis was captivated by the sight once again, just as he had been on the deck of his cabin. So caught up was he, that Prompto managed to snap five pictures of him with his phone before he noticed. The blond gave him a cheeky smile as he sent the pictures to the group chat.

Ignis couldn’t even find it within himself to even pretend to be annoyed.

“Look, if you squint, you can kinda see the sign for the ranch,” Prompto said, leaning over the railing and pointing. Ignis looked and squinted, but it was all a green blur, slightly distorted by the heat waves of the city. “Oh! You should see the shop!”

And then Ignis was being led down the street, past several street vendors and milling crowds, until they were almost to the edge of the city. There was a gas station there, with a newly built garage and a young woman standing in front. 

She was beautiful, with shoulder-length, sandy blond hair tied back, and bronze skin. She was wearing a stained coverall, with the top half undone and tied around her waist. Underneath was an equally stained gray tank top. She looked amused if a bit confused to see Prompto and she sauntered over.

There was simply no other way to describe the way she moved. It was clear this was Cindy, and Ignis still felt a thread of insecurity, even though he knew there was nothing between her and Prompto. There was less than nothing between himself and Prompto, so the insecurity was extra ridiculous.

“I thought I saw ol’Bertha roll in,” she said brightly, her country accent thick like honey. “What’re you doing back ‘round here?”

“One of my friends was absconded out to the ranch, and didn’t come prepared, so we’re in town to get him proper clothing,” Prompto explained with a grin.

“Indeed,” Ignis confirmed, feeling a flush come to his cheeks when Cindy looked him up and down.

“You don’t look like a dude ranch sort of fella,” she said bluntly, smiling kindly when he pursed his lips. “Good thing you got Prompto lookn’ out for you.”

“Yeah, so, anyway, Cindy this is Ignis, Ignis this is Cindy,” Prompto quickly introduced, and Cindy’s whole demeanour shifted slightly. Not hostile or aggressive, and her face did not falter in her smile. She just became more alert and was looking him over again with this new information.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Ignis,” she said, stepping forward to shake Ignis’ hand. He accepted it readily, smearing motor oil all over his palm. Her handshake was firm and commanding. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Dread pooled in his gut while he tried to read her pleasant expression for any signs of hidden dislike. “All good, I would hope,” he said steadily, smiling back at her.

“Yeah, I’ve told Cindy about all of you. She’s met Gladio, though, and Noctis too when he came out here the other week,” Prompto said quickly, and Ignis looked back at him, catching just the tail-end of a strained expression directed at Cindy.

Cindy released Ignis’ hand and smiled brightly. “What can I do for y’all? Just visiting?”

“Yeah, just saying hi. I thought it’d be rude to be in town and not, and I wanted Ignis to see the shop,” Prompto replied with a grin, looking at Ignis expectantly.

Ignis truly looked around now and saw a neat and orderly driveway. In the garage, there were three vehicles in various states of repair, with one young man working away on one while another man sat in a chair drinking a coffee.

“It looks like you’re doing very well for yourself, Cindy,” Ignis said, allowing a smile at the young woman.

She beamed under his praise. “Thank you! Pawpaw wasn’t too happy when I struck out on my own instead of taking over his shop, but it was worth it,” she said with a grin. “I get customers coming from as far as Galdin Quay to get service. I wanna be getting traffic even from Insomnia someday.”

“You could always open a second location in Insomnia,” Ignis said thoughtfully. 

“Lestallum is city enough for me,” Cindy laughed, but there was interest in her eyes.

“Of course, and with the right management and staffing, you wouldn’t have to be there all the time,” Ignis agreed, nodding thoughtfully. “And there’s nothing to say you can’t still take over your--is it your grandfather’s shop?”

“Yeah, s’pose you’re right,” she said thoughtfully, tapping her chin with her finger. “What an interesting thought. I like this guy, Prompto.”

Ignis smiled with a nod. “Only some suggestions, given your goals,” he replied, bowing slightly.

“Yeah, leave it to Ignis to still think business while on vacation,” Prompto said, good-natured, but the comment stuck sharply in Ignis’ chest.

Straightening up and schooling his expression, he nodded to Cindy and Prompto. “While we’re here, I’m going to the service station for something to drink. I’ll be just a moment, Prompto, and we can get on with our shopping trip.”

He took longer than strictly necessary since he really only wanted one thing (a can of Ebony), but he was still smarting from that comment. He knew Prompto meant nothing by it--the man did not have a petty bone in him--and it was purely a joke. It was just embarrassing how right he was. Ignis would have to work to turn that off while he was here.

Ignis left the store and walked up to Cindy, popping open his drink and sipping from it. He looked around for Prompto, but he was nowhere to be seen.

“Prompto ran back to our apartment to grab some stuff he left,” Cindy explained before Ignis could ask. “I really appreciated the advice there. It’s something to think about.”

“It was no problem at all, though I suppose Prompto was correct that I am on vacation,” he said, shrugging slightly with one shoulder. “Perhaps I should have kept more relaxed.”

“Listen, Ignis, no offence intended, but there is a lot of tension going on in your face that I doubt you’ve been properly ‘relaxed’ in a very long time,” she said bluntly, raising a grease-stained eyebrow at him. “That being said, you need some time before it’s reasonable to expect you to be ‘relaxed’.”

Ignis was baffled by her comments and shook his head. “That would be a fair statement if I hadn’t been deliberately piling my workload on for the last decade. Prompto has every right to criticize and tease me.”

Cindy hummed thoughtfully and looked back at her garage. “I wonder why you were so deliberately keeping yourself busy,” she mused, tapping her chin lightly before winking at him. 

Ignis turned away from her to take another sip of his drink, scanning the area for Prompto. It was an uncomfortable question he didn’t like to think too much about.

“You want my honest opinion as an outsider with a lot of love for Prompto?” Cindy asked suddenly, and her question sounded genuine. If Ignis did not want to hear it, he had full faith that he could say ‘no’ and she would drop it and never mention it again.

“I would appreciate your opinion. Prompto speaks very highly of you,” Ignis replied, smiling lightly.

“Aw, ain’t that sweet,” she gushed lightly. “My opinion, though, is that you need to talk more. Really get yelling about what you want. From what I’ve heard, you keep everything locked up and stuff, which ain’t good for nobody.”

“You’ve learned this all from Prompto?” Ignis asked skeptically.

“I’ve also met the big guy and the prince,” she replied with a grin, chuckling when colour rose to Ignis’ cheeks. “Listen, there are a lot of people who really like you, and I meant it when I said I did. They’re worried about you since they’ve all mentioned you to little old me.”

“That’s embarrassing,” Ignis admitted, looking down at the can in his hand.

“Oh, for sure, but they care about you,” Cindy said with a shrug. “Especially Blondie.”

Ignis pressed his lips together at that, squinting into the distance. “I don’t want them to worry about me,” he said finally.

“Then it’s time you really worked on relaxing,” Cindy said firmly, punching Ignis in the shoulder. It hurt. “And talk to your pals more.”

“I...will take that into consideration,” Ignis said slowly, startling when he was barreled into from behind by an excitable blond.

“Okie dokie, Cindy, we gotta get going! Still have shopping to do, and we have to get back to the ranch for dinner,” Prompto said, an arm slung around Ignis’ shoulders as he steered the older man away.

“See y’all later!” she called after them, laughing.

Ignis leaned into the semi-embrace for a few steps before moving away. It wouldn’t help his attempt at platonic friendship if he got comfortable with physical affection from the younger man. 

“Cindy was...something,” he said finally, to break the silence.

Prompto laughed. “Yeah, she’s kind of intense when you first meet her,” he said with a fond smile.

“I can see why you like her,” Ignis continued, finishing off his Ebony and tossing the can into the nearest recycling bin.

“What do you mean?”

“She’s very kind, genuine, and completely honest. Very emotionally...available, I suppose. And she’s also very beautiful,” he explained. “So, I can see why you like her.”

Prompto was quiet for a moment, and Ignis looked at him curiously. The blond looked at him, opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it again. Then he said, “let's go to the marketplace! Not the best place for clothes, but it’s a neat stop!”

The marketplace was breathtaking in its chaos. Open-air vendors all packed into a narrow alley between buildings, shop owners shouting and haggling with customers, and all of this surrounded by riots of colour. There were produce stands, spice stands, antique dealers, and shops selling fabrics and other things.

Ignis found himself drawn to the stalls with food-stuffs, especially the spice booths. He loved to cook and experiment, but he couldn’t remember the last time he actually allowed himself the pleasure of preparing a proper meal. Or preparing a meal for others. It had to have been at least a year, if not longer. The last time may have been the night before Prompto left.

“Whatcha thinking, Iggy?” Prompto asked, leaning over to look at Ignis’ face.

“I miss cooking,” he answered slowly, pushing through his discomfort of expressing what he wanted. “I miss cooking for others, especially. I can’t remember the last time I made something just for the pleasure of it”

“Well,” Prompto started thoughtfully, “your cabin has a full kitchen. You could pick up some stuff while you were here and prepare your own dinners if you wanted.”

Ignis almost jumped at the suggestion, shocked by the simplicity of that idea, and he actually found himself smiling. “You’re quite right,” he admitted.

“Don’t buy too much produce and meat from here, though. Wizz has better and fresher stuff at the ranch for sale. He doesn’t have much for spices though,” Prompto said, grinning from ear-to-ear.

That grin did terrible things to Ignis’ heart, but he found himself relaxing just a bit more in his shoulders. Perhaps this vacation was truly not so doomed as he had been thinking.

* * *

By the time they actually arrived back at the ranch, it was close to dinner time, and Ignis was excited to make something himself. He was already ruminating over the different possibilities when Gladio approached, looking mildly miffed.

“What took you so long?” he asked, turning his attention to Prompto. “He didn’t disappear and work did he?”

“Nope! Ignis did nothing but shop and take in the sights the entire time. Scout’s honour,” Prompto said, crossing his heart with a smile. “I take my chaperoning duties very seriously. I even have pics to prove it.”

“Seriously, Iggy? You shopped for seven hours?” Gladio asked, his features relaxing.

“Yes, I did. I picked up some ingredients as well, to get back into cooking,” Ignis replied, all but brandishing the shopping bags full of various spices and sauces. “And clothes shopping took longer than anticipated.”

“Turns out Iggy’s inseam is pretty rare in Lestallum. Had to have a lot of pants altered,” Prompto laughed, though interestingly enough, a flush rose to his cheeks.

“Wait, are you going to cook tonight?” Gladio asked, interest suddenly focused on the bags in Ignis’ hands. The man looked like he was about to start actually drooling.

“I was considering it--”

“Awesome! Dinner at Ignis’ cabin?” Gladio said to Prompto, and the blond laughed and nodded eagerly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhm, I literally forgot about this fic? Like a dingus? I have had chapters 3 and 4 written for quite some time, and chapter 5 almost complete so there was really no reason to not have kept up. Also, since I'm not really involved in the fandom and I don't know how popular this fandom is anymore, let alone this pairing, I am going 100% self-indulgent with this fic, so expect some polyamoury later lmaooo


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